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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27908779">safe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/werealldreaming/pseuds/werealldreaming'>werealldreaming</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, also evi deserves more love, anyway this fic is also known as me getting over my insecurity about posting short works to ao3, listen...i have feelings about dalinar's parenting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:40:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27908779</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/werealldreaming/pseuds/werealldreaming</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a tug at the hem of Evi's dress, and when she looks down, she sees Renarin staring up at here with wide, wide eyes.</p>
<p>"Mama? I'm scared."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Renarin Kholin &amp; Shshshsh | Evi Kholin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>safe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There's a tug at the hem of Evi's dress, and when she looks down, she sees Renarin staring up at here with wide, wide eyes.</p>
<p>"Mama? I'm scared."</p>
<p>"Oh, baby." She scoops him up into her arms. He's getting big--soon he'll be too heavy for her to pick up like this. The thought makes her sad. "What are you scared of?"</p>
<p>Renarin tucks his head into her shoulder. "Daddy's being loud again."</p>
<p>And oh, how Evi wishes for the courage to properly confront her husband. This is hardly the first time this has happened - Dalinar is a large presence at the best of times, and rarely in a way that is suited for young children. Especially Renarin, who is quiet and sensitive in a distinctly un-Alethi way.</p>
<p>Perhaps that is too unkind of her. Evi knows that he is trying, that Dalinar cares deeply for his children, but he struggles to connect with them (or, indeed, anyone) in a way that does not relate to fighting. And now that Adolin is old enough to begin training, Evi can only worry more for Renarin.</p>
<p>"It's okay," she murmurs to her son. "Your father's not going to hurt you. You're safe."</p>
<p>"He's scary."</p>
<p>"He is," Evi says. "But that's because he needs to scare other people he's fighting."</p>
<p>"Is he fighting us?"</p>
<p>Evi bites back a wince, and resolves to speak to Dalinar. She might not be able to change him, but she can at least try to get him to change his behavior. For their sons' sake, if not for hers.</p>
<p>Storms, she doesn't know what's going to happen as Renarin grows up. He's already begun showing signs of a blood weakness--one they're still going to surgeons to get properly diagnosed, but almost certainly one that will keep him from the battlefield. And she may not be upset about that, but Dalinar...she doesn't know.</p>
<p>"He's not, sweetie," she tells her son. "He loves you. He's just used to being around people who are also loud. It’s not his fault.”</p>
<p>“Oh. Okay.” Renarin squeezes his arms around her more tightly and doesn’t say more. </p>
<p>Evi starts to hum a song--an Iri song, a lullaby she’d learned from her mother. It’s one she’s sung to her sons hundreds of times, and before long, Renarin has relaxed into sleep against her.</p>
<p>Evi lets out a gusty breath, suddenly exhausted. It’s times like this that she longs for home, for the simplicity of navigating a culture she understands, and the easiness of not having to worry about her children being afraid of their father. </p>
<p>Still, this is her life. Surely she will come to accept all parts of it, eventually.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i love any and all comments!</p>
<p>you can also find me on tumblr at <a href="https://ternaryflower53.tumblr.com">ternaryflower53</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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